


What We Do For Love

by Ultimate_Fandom_Queen



Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Princess - Freeform, Romance, Sofia - Freeform, X - Freeform, buttercup - Freeform, cedfia, first, original - Freeform, the
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 18:04:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10037489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultimate_Fandom_Queen/pseuds/Ultimate_Fandom_Queen
Summary: Princes Sofia is in love with Cedric the Sorcerer. It was an undeniable fact. However, she simply couldn't tell him. Of course, she still plays the perfect friend, doing any favor he asks. But when a quest for the next level in her buttercup troop turns into a potion ingredient scavenger hunt for her dear Sorcerer, has she take this little romantic fantasy too far? What will she do when the ingredients she must gather put her life in danger? And how Is Cedric handling the peril of his only friend? Is even love really worth all this?Sorry for typos. This fanfiction is unbetad





	1. What she does for him

Cedric grinned wildly as he gazed upon the boiling cauldron in front of him. "Yes, that's it, just one final ingredient..." he mumbled softly to the robin's egg blue liquid. "Just one tiny drop of river dragon venom, aaaaaaaaand...." he watched as the tiny drop of shining silvery green liquid slowly slid from the vial in his hand, careful not to rush. This final step, performed after the entire potion was basically brewed, required the utmost patience. Making this potion was an extremely time consuming process as it needed constant attention for nearly 14 hours straight and could only be brewed directly in the light of a full moon and so required constant shifting to follow the moonlight streaming in through Cedric's various tower windows, and the need for constant moonlight throughout all 14 hours meant it could only be brewed in the dead of winter, not to mention the rarity of almost every ingredient, this last one in particular. River dragon venom was extremely dangerous to harness and was so potent that any more than a single drop of the venom would ruin the entire potion. The drop seemed to take forever to slide through the vial, but he dared not rush it for fear of adding too much. "Yes, that's it...." he coaxed, watching as the drop hung off the rim, only a fraction of a second from falling, completing the potion that would surely allow him to finally take over the kingdo-  
"Mr. Cedric!" came a high, girlish voice and a oh so familiar knock at the door. Cedric jumped, looking towards the door. He heard a splash, looking down at his potion...  
which was currently being polluted with the entire bottle of venom. 

"Oh no..." Cedric said, just as the potion turned a fiery purple pink color rather than the aquamarine that it should be....  
And blew up in his face.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sofia waited patiently on the other side of the door. It was still very early in the day, she knew. The sun had still not fully risen and the moon was still clearly visible in the sky. However, today was an important day for the young princess; the day when she would finally move up in rank from a buttercup scout to a dandelion scout, as was customary when a troop member reached the age of 16 and completed all buttercup patches, as she had finally done at their prior meeting. Sofia was very excited. There was only one final test; a hike alone through the magic forest. Her old and new troop leaders and members would be waiting on the other side. Of course, there was no danger in the hike, as a special barrier had been placed over a clearly marked path so that no magical plants or animals could cross it, not to mention to keep the snow, ice, wind, and even cold away from anyone on the trail, but the formality still remained.

Sofia was due to start her hike at 8:00 a.m. Sharp, and it was already nearly 7. However, she couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her dear long time friend, the great sorcerer (in her eyes) Cedric, if he was in need of any magical ingredients she could pick up on her hike. Sure, she wasn't technically supposed to take or look for anything or leave the trail at all, for that matter, but what could be the harm? Especially if it earned even the slightest bit of respect or admiration from her long time crush.  
Yes, ever since she was a little girl, Sofia couldn't help but feel an undeniable attraction to the sorcerer, despite his lower status, poor reputation, and being far too many years her senior for any propriety to be seen in any sort of relationship. That doesn't even cover the impossibility of him ever sharing such feelings. Still, she could dream. 

Just as she finished this thought and was contemplating knocking on the door again, afraid he hadn't heard her, Sofia heard a loud explosion, crash, and a yell, followed by a fit of coughing. The door to the tower opened, revealing a very disheveled sorcerer coughing violently as black smoke billowed from the room. Cedric was almost entirely covered in a dark black soot. His bow tie was slightly loose and askew and his robes were incredibly wrinkled, one sleeve even hanging off his shoulder, revealing the dress shirt beneath. To complete this chaotic ensemble, Cedric's hair stuck straight up in all directions, the white streaks just barely visible through the ash and soot covering him head to toe.  
"P-Princess Sofia!" he said through a fit of coughing. "What are you doing here so early?" he said, then coughed again.  
Sofia coughed a bit as well as the smoke came out of the room. "Today is my buttercup-daffodil passage, Mr. Cedric." she said, coughing more. "I was just wondering if you needed any magical ingredients from the forest."  
Cedric sighed, finally able to breath more normally as the smoke began to dissipate. "You bothered me at this hour for that? What if I had been sleeping?" he said, annoyed. Cedric pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, making an attempt to wipe his face. However, this did nothing because the handkerchief too was covered in soot. Sofia fought back laughter at the situation and the sight of the sorcerer. She pulled out her own handkerchief, handing it to him. He nodded in thanks and began to wipe his face as she spoke.  
"I listened through the door before I knocked to make sure you were awake, and I just thought you might need some more ingredients." she said, pouting slightly in the way she knew he couldn't be angry at, for whatever reason. "You have been spending so much time up here lately. I almost never get to see you anymore. I'm sorry, Mr. Cedric. I just wanted to help you."  
Cedric sighed, rolling his eyes. His face was now mostly clean and he was began smoothing his hair a bit, avoiding her eyes. 

It was true that he had not left his tower much lately. This was for a couple reasons. King Roland rarely asked Cedric for help anymore, thinking him too incompetent it seemed, so he was almost never summoned. In addition, the twins, James and Amber, would be turning 18 in just over a year. When that happened, James would become the new king of Enchancia. Cedric simply had to take over the kingdom before that point. For one, he refused to serve a second king as he was so reluctant to serve his current, though he would have no choice as he had so far failed to provide any sort of heir to take his place, and would most likely not be doing so any time soon considering no woman had any interest in him and none had yet caught his eye, not to mention his general dislike for children. The only other option was to hand it to a nonrelated wizard, which was out of the question. Cedric had already caused enough disgrace to his family name. For another thing, it simply was not as satisfying taking over the kingdom if it was not Roland's kingdom he was taking over. And, of course, there was one other reason.  
Ever since Sofia had been becoming more and more interested in magic, Cedric has noticed little things about her.  
The way her eyes sparkled when she got a spell right, the way her hair fell in her face when she bent low to better read a spell book, the way she always looked to him with such hope in her eyes when she perfected some magical element or even when she was simply greeting him, the way her face flushed ever so slightly and hair became slightly messy with the heat of a boiling potion.....  
This last one in particular he would not find the will to analyze. Maybe it was the fact that she looked so much less regal, so much more wild, just as forbidden as he knew she truly was to him (not that he cared, of course, because he had no reason to not want her to be forbidden) but in some strange way he found the way she looked in those moments, dare he say it, unbelievably.... sexy.  
Cedric's face almost flushed at the very thought of the word, hoping that what little soot remained would hide his reaction.  
"Mr. Cedric?" The princess spoke softly, breaking him from his thoughts.  
Cedric looked at her once more, about to send her on her way, when his eyes caught the glimmer of the amulet of Avalor hanging around the princesses neck. He once again remembered the potion that had just been ruined only moments ago. 

"Actually, princess...." he said, smirking a bit, "There are a few ingredients that I would like you to get for me."  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"Goodbye, Mr. Cedric!" Sofia called, smiling happily as she ran down the tower steps, a list of ingredients in hand.  
"Goodbye, Princess! Thank you again!" he called back, waving. As soon as she was out of sight, Cedric closed and locked the door, letting out a maniacal cackle as he turned to his trust bird companion. "Oh, Wormy, it is almost too easy! That little twit is going to be fetching the ingredients for a potion that is going to be the final part in taking over the kingdom! Talk about digging your own grave!" he said, and bird and master laughed evilly together for a moment.  
Suddenly, Cedric froze, thinking. '...digging her own grave...' The thought rung through his head. "...Oh well, why should I care? If her little quest gets her out of the way, good riddance. All the easier it will be to take that precious amulet for ourselves, right Wormy?.... All the same...." Cedric looked out his window, seeing the innocent princess join her family and Bailywick at the carriage, ready to take her to the forest. He felt his heart jump a little when he saw her serene smile and naive eyes. "....Wormy... why don't you follow her? You know, just to make sure the amulet is safe. And.... And should she get into any trouble, try to help her... You know, because if she does d-... get hurt.... It would be a lot more trouble for us to fetch those ingredients ourselves." Cedric nodded a bit, as if to reassure himself.  
Wormwood nodded, believing this addition to his masters plan, and flew out the window, following high above the carriage as it set off towards the forest.

Cedric watched from his tower window long after carriage and bird were out of sight. "....Merlin's Mushrooms."


	2. What the price could be

Sofia waved goodbye to her family and Bailywick as they drove away in the carriage, leaving her by the magical forest to make her journey. She glanced at the path, clearly visible through the dark snow covered trees, and pulled the list out of the pocket of her cloak, reading over it one last time.

Dear Sofia, these are the ingredients I need for my potion. I put them in the order you will find them in the forest based on where each creature dwells.  
1\. Dryad blooms  
2\. Pixie dust  
3\. Basilisk skin  
4\. Unicorn horn  
5\. Werewolf Scat  
6\. Mountain Troll toe jam  
7\. River Dragon venom  
Sincerely, Cedric

For just a moment, the young princess allowed a small smile to play across her lips as she gently ran her thumb over Cedric's signature on the paper. However, the moment of childish indulgence passed s she reread the list. 

Sofia did her best not to shudder in disgust and fear at some of these ingredients. What could Cedric possibly be making? Oh well. Anything was worth it for him. She began walking down the path, the warmth charm enveloping her with every step. She continued deeper, slowing slightly as she heard what sounded like giggling from somewhere to her left. "Well," she said in almost confidence, "Here goes nothing. For true love." 

She stepped off the path and into the cold wintery world, following the sound.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Dryad blooms were a surprisingly easy ingredient to acquire. All she had had to do was sneak up behind a few of the tree like girls while they giggled and huddled for warmth and pluck a few from their luxurious hair. She had felt a bit guilty, hearing their small cries of pain like if a human girl had just had a small lock of hair ripped from their head, and luckily her amulet didn't curse her presumably because this not so good deed was done for a good deed, but at the same time she couldn't help but be pleased with herself. She was even able to get the pixie dust as some of the pixies taking shelter with the dryads in a sort of symbiotic relationship flew to see what was the matter. If all the ingredients were this easy to acquire, this would be a peace of cake!   
Sofia hummed a little song, getting back on the path and welcoming the warmth she felt the moment she returned to it. She began walking once more, looking for any sign of a basilisk. This, too, was surprisingly easy, given the big sign that read "Danger: Basilisk Den. Stay On Path." Sofia smiled, leaving the path and going in the indicated direction. "Hm... I wonder what a basilisk is anyway. How am I supposed to get it's skin?" she wondered aloud, coming upon a large cave. She shrugged, entering.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Wormwood landed on a nearby branch, watching over the princess. He too had been impressed with her ability to get the blooms and dust, and now was one of the easiest ingredients. Basilisk skin. All she had to do was go around to the back of the den and-  
Wait.  
Why was she going inside the den?

Oh no....  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sofia climbed deeper and deeper into the cave, wrinkling her nose slightly at the damp, rotting smell within. She would have put her hand on the wall to help her keep her balance along the slick floor if the walls hadn't been coated in what seemed to be a sort of thick slime. The deeper the princess traveled into the cave, the warmer it seemed to get. The air became hot and humid. Sofia wiped a bead of sweat from her face, taking off her thick cloak. "Geez... How big is this den?" she wondered aloud. 

Just then, Sofia heard a familiar voice behind her. "Stop, foolish girl!" Wormwood whisper yelled at her, grabbing onto her cloak to stop her from walking any further, only to have it come off in his talons.  
Sofia turned, confused. "Wormwood? What are you doing here?" She barely heard the sound of breathing coming from somewhere up ahead.   
"I should be asking you that! What are you doing in the den of a basilisk?"  
"Getting the basilisk skin. What do you think?"  
"What? No, stupid girl! You aren't supposed to go INSIDE the den! Do you even know what a basilisk is? It's a-"  
Just then, Sofia gasped, her eyes going wide in terror. "W-Wormwood.....There's a giant snake..............."  
Wormwood froze, staring at it, terrified.  
"Okay.... remain calm.... don't panic. It's asleep. It must be hibernating. So, we just be quiet and it won't wake up, right?"  
Wormwood nodded a bit, landing on a nearby bolder as if afraid his wings would be too loud as he flew. Aaaand he knocked over a pebble. Which fell on a rock. Which rolled into a bigger rock. Which fell on a boulder. 

Which fell on the basilisk head.

There was a moment of pure, still silence as Sofia and Wormy waited for their pending doom. However, all remained calm. Sofia felt a flood of relief wash over her.  
Until wormy sighed in relief.  
The moment that small gust of air left the bird's beak, the giant eye of the basilisk flashed open, revealing it's sickening yellow hue broken by a slit of void black. Sofia let out a scream of fear at the same time that the giant snake let out a mighty roar, raising it's head towards the high cave ceiling.

"EVERY CROW FOR THEMSELVES!!!!!!" Wormwood yelled, flying out like a bat out of hell.   
Sofia ran after. "Traitor!" she yelled, "I thought you were a crow, not a chicken!" However, her insult was only half meant, considering she was terrified herself. Sofia tried to reach out and grab the crow, only to have her cloak get caught on his talons and fly away with him. She ran through the slick, dark cave, hearing the loud hisses of the snake behind her as it slid smoothly through the black abyss of its den. She fought to keep her feet going across the slick floor, pushing herself fast despite her growing fatigue. Gradually, the air became colder, biting wind entering the cave. Sofia continued to run, reaching the mouth of the cave and throwing herself outside. Suddenly, her foot landed on a puddle of ice, slipping out from under her. Sofia gasped as she fell onto the cold, snowy ground. 

'This is it.' she thought. 'This is how I die. Eaten by a giant snake. And I never even got to tell Cedric that I love him....'   
Tears sprung to Sofia's eyes as she realized this simple fact. She loved Cedric. It was not simply a childhood crush or infatuation. It was love, like those in story books that transcended the barriers of life and death, saved whole civilizations, ended ancient feuds. However, the love was not true love. Because for a love to be true, he would have to love her in return. For just a moment, Sofia let herself entertain the idea. She imagined Cedric and his realization of his feelings for her when she confessed her own. All he needed was a gentle nudge in that direction. Now, he would never get the chance. Even worse, the real 100% true situation. Now, Cedric wouldn't have his potion ingredients. What if he was making some great medicine? What if it was essential for his career, or even someone's life?  
'Oh, Cedric, I'm so sorry.' she thought, her eyes shut tight as she waited for death to come.  
And waited.  
And waited.  
Finally, Sofia opened her eyes, turning, only to have nothing there. No giant snake. No sharp fangs. No impending death. "But....how...?" 

Sofia facepalmed in realization. Of course! The basilisk was a snake, a reptile! They couldn't endure the cold. And damn was it ever cold. Sophia shivered. Her cloak must still be with Wormwood, wherever the fraidy-crow had gone. She stood carefully, looking around, and sighed. "Well.... I'm alive.... but how do I get the-...."   
Sofia rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. The Basilisk was a snake, and a huge one at that. It sheds it's skin! She began walking around the den. Sure enough, there behind the large cave was a long, twisted sheen of white. Sofia smiled, ripping off a piece of the think skin. She put it in her satchel with the Blossom and Dust.

Sofia smiled, making her way back to the path, feeling confident enough to face whatever obstacle came next on her quest.


	3. What he does for her

Cedric woke up to a insistent tapping on one of the windows. He rubbed his eyes, still a bit tired, having been napping since he hadn't slept at all the night before. Cedric sighed, standing up, and went to the window. "Alright, wormy, alright, I'm coming...." he said, opening it up. The bird flew in, cawing loudly. "Calm down, you stupid bird. What the bloody hell are you-" Cedric froze, his eyes falling on the long fabric item within the bird's talons. "....Oh no." he said, then ran to his bookcase. "Where is it, where is it..." he mumbled, tearing down books and loking behind totums and ruins. "Oh, why didn't I clea up this workshop?" he said as he desperately moved to search through his old trunk.

"Ah ha!" Cedric let out an exclamation of relief and excitement as he found the artifact he was looking for; an ancient looking translucent orb. He carefully placed the crystal ball on it's stand, sitting unused for years on his desk, and began hastily speaking the incantation, gently pouring a few drops of some pink potion overtop of the device. Still mumbling the spell, Cedric sat in front of the orb, waving his hands over it. Slowly, the orb began to glow softly, a fuzzy image appearing within it's foggy depths. Cedric stared intently at the image as it began to focus. There, in the image of the crystal ball, was the princess, walking through the maze of snow covered trees. Cedric let out a sigh of relief when he saw she was safe.   
Shivering, but safe.

"... Wormy." called the sorcerer, not looking away from the crystal ball, "Take this to her." Cedric hastily took off his robe, standing now his dress shirt, black pants, and signature bow tie. The bird, confused, pauses a moment, wondering if his master is serious. After Cedric's hand still stands, unwavering, outstretched towards him with the robe in hand, Wormwood hesitantly flies forward, taking it in his talons and carrying it off with him out the window. Cedric, satisfied for the moment with Wormwoods actions, turns back to the crystal ball, staring at it intently.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sofia wandered through the trees of the magic forest, making sure that the path was in view but not entering it again for fear of not wanting to leave it's warmth. If only wormwood hadn't flown off with her cloak...

Just then, as if summoned by her thoughts, Sofia heard a very familiar caw. She looked up, following the sound, and saw the very bird her thoughts had just been on flying back towards her with something long and purple hanging from his talons. "Wormwood!" the princess called, smiling wide.   
"Who did you expect? The Tooth Fairy?" said the bird sarcastically. However, Sofia was too excited to be annoyed with the bird's attitude for once.   
"You brought my cloak back! Thanks, Wormwood!" she said, gratefully taking the garment. Wormwood let out a cynical chuckle. "Look again, princess. That is not your cloak."  
However, Sofia already knew that. She knew the moment she grabbed hold of the purple fabric, feeling the familiar texture that was somehow both soft and rough at the same time; a texture that always left her hand with a   
feeling of comforting nostalgia. How many times as a child has she grasped onto the arm or side or hem of this same robe, looking for guidance or assistance or even just company? How many times has she herself   
imagined being completely encased in it's warmth. 

Sofia smiled, slipping the robe onto herself and smiling. It was a bit too big, so she had to roll up the sleeves and hold up the bottom slightly as if it were a ball gown, but it kept her warm none the less. Smiling to herself, Sofia drew the garment tightly around herself, drawing the edge up to her face and breathing in the warm, comforting scent of potion ingredients and smoke and soap and magic and something that was just so distinctly Cedric. Even if he would never hold her in his arms, Sofia felt as if, for this moment, she could indulge in the luxury of wearing his robe and use her imagination to call it the next best thing. 

A soft, loving smile graced the face of the young princess, filled with gratitude. After a long moment, long after Wormwood had gotten bored of watching the distracted princess and flown off, she finally spoke, her voice just above a whisper. "Oh Cedric..... Thank you."  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Cedric, high in his tower, was still watching the young girl as she slipped on his cloak. He watched her admire the fabric, drawing it close. The sorcerer felt his cheeks flush slightly, though he was not sure if it was because Sofia's reactions seemed like something private that shouldn't be witnessed by an outside party (especially a sorcerer who was, once again, far too many years her senior) or if it was because watching her like that, drawing his robes around her, relishing in the feeling of his clothes, had him imagining that he could almost feel her pulling his arms around her so tightly, cuddling into him, drawing him close...

No, he couldn't be imagining this. Especially not now, when he was so close to having everything he had ever dreamed of. "Eyes on the prize, Cedric..." he said to himself, gazing into the crystal ball. There, just above the neckline of his robe, was the Amulet of Avalor. "....Eyes on the pri-"

"Oh Cedric..." his thoughts were interrupted by a sweet, almost longing voice. Cedric blinked, his gaze drawing away from the amulet to the face of the princess, his breath catching in his throat as he saw the soft, gratified smile on her face.   
Had she always looked so... sweet? So kindhearted? So.... breathtaking? "...Thank you."  
Cedric almost felt his heart stop. He swallowed hard, finally able to breath again. "...Don't thank me, princess...." he whispered to the crystal ball, his voice cracking slightly as his eyes were drawn from her face to her necklace and back again. "...please.... Don't thank me...."


	4. What she does for them

Sofia hummed to herself as she strode through the forest, now with more vigor than before, despite the fact that it was getting increasingly late. The sun had already almost set, and everyone would be expecting her out of the forest by early morning. "Alright! So, what's next?" she said to herself, pulling out her list. "Hm... Unicorn Horn? I wonder how I get that..." she said. Just then, Sofia came upon a small clearing. The first thing she noticed was the amount of footprints in the snow here, almost completely covering the ground. "Whoa...." she said, walking slowly. 

Every one of the footprints looked like they were made by something with hooves, though they all seemed to be slightly different shapes and sizes. "Hey, I know these tracks..." she said, noticing a pair of smaller hooves that's steps were positioned like a human. "These are fawn tracks, like Winter..." she said, then looked around at other tracks. "And... these almost look like really big dear tracks... like a centaur! And these ones look like....horses?" The, Sofia remembered that this was a magical forest. No horses lived here. "Unicorn tracks!" she said excitedly. She looked around for any other signs of unicorns, still not exactly sure how to get a unicorn's horn. She certainly didn't want to hurt the unicorns.

"Help!" suddenly, a soft voice called from somewhere through the trees. "Help! Somebody, please!" Sofia jumped up, running towards the sound without a seconds hesitation. The seen that she came upon almost brought tears to her eyes.There, on the ground, lay one of the most beautiful creatures that the young princess had ever seen, it's pure white coat shimmering like the snow beneath it. That is, what snow was left untarnished by the shimmering blue liquid spilling from the place that the unicorns heart had once been. Sofia slowly drew closer to the body, noticing the rough slashes along it's pelt. Sofia looked away, feeling slightly sick at the sight, when she heard a small sob from not far away. She glanced around before her eyes finally fell upon yet another of the beautiful creatures, this one still very young, it's horn only about two inches long and it's coat still slightly silver rather than the pure white of a full grown unicorn.   
"Are you alright, little one?" the asked Sofia after only a moments hesitation.   
"Y-You... You can understand me?" the child said, managing some surprise through his grief.   
Sofia nodded. "Yes. My name is Sofia. Who are you? What are you doing out here all alone?"   
The unicorn hesitantly replied. "M-My names Alastor. A-And, I wasn't on my own." he said, looking ready to break down into sobs again.   
"What's wrong?" she said, then almost immediately regretted it as tears welled up in the young creatures eyes once more.   
"It's my mama. She heard something and went off to check on it. I followed her. There were all these strange noises, like... growling... I heard my mama cry out, and then... a-and then, I ran to help her, and everything went really quiet... and I found her like this." the unicorn slowly approached his mother in shock and horror. He turned to the princess, his eyes wide and innocent. "Can you help her?" he said. 

Sofia felt as if her heart was breaking at the sight. ".... I'm sorry. But.... No one can help your mama now.... she...she's dead, Alastor. I'm so sorry...."   
Alastor stood there for a moment in shock and disbelief before running straight to Sofia like a crying child to his mother. The princess instinctually wrapped her arms around the young Unicorn, feeling as if she may cry as well. After a long while of just sitting there together, Alastor finally lifted his head from Sofia's shoulder, staring at her with wet eyes and a blank expression. ".....Sofia? Thank you... I need to get back to my herd and tell them it isn't safe here..." he said, looking behind him, as if listening to a sound the princess couldn't hear. However, just when Sofia thought he was going to leave, he quickly turned back to her. "Will you make sure my mama gets covered?" Sofia looked into the wide, expectant eyes of the child unicorn and couldn't help but nod, despite not really knowing what he meant. Alastor nodded, then responded as if he had read her mind, "When a Unicorn dies, the others in the herd cover them with flowers to represent the fragile beauty in purity. Unicorns are powerful, but we don't fight, no matter how much we are threatened. We can't. We don't know anger." he said, than smiled again, a bit sadly. "However, we do know grief. And we know friendship." he said. He nuzzled Sofia affectionately before turning away once more. "Thank you, Sofia." he said, walking away. As he did so, Sofia couldn't help but notice how much stronger he looked now than he had less than an hour before when they first met. Was Alastor's coat whiter than it had been?

Sofia sighed, pushing away the thoughts as she looked once more at the body of the unicorn before her. Nodding once to reassure herself, she set out to perform the task at hand, gathering every wild flower she could find, which was not very easy in a snow covered forest. After what must have been hours, the task was almost finished. The entire body was covered excluding the top of her head. Sofia stared at the shining unicorn horn. "...come on, Sofia.... just take it... for Cedric!" However, as her hands lay gently on the magical horn, she found herself unable to take the possession. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered Alastor. Sofia sighed in exasperation, wiping away her tears. She hurriedly threw the last of the flowers over the remaining exposed body and began to walk away. However, she halted when she felt an unexpected warmth from her amulet. Glancing down, she watched in awe as the glow from the amulet formed a ribbon of sparkling purple light leading deeper into the forest. The princess ran to follow it, eventually coming upon what seemed to be nothing ore than a hill of dead flowers. However, upon closer inspection, Sofia found it to be an old Unicorn burial site, much older than the one she had just made. As she approached, a chilled winter breeze blew through the bare tree branches, slowly lifting flower upon flower away from the hill. Sofia resisted the urge to cringe away, fearing she would see a unicorn skeleton or worse beneath. However, all that remained when the last flower flew was a single, spiraled rod. A unicorn's horn. Sofia laughed with glee as she picked up her new addition to her completed list, putting it into her bag. "Thank you..." she whispered to the spot where the old unicorn must have laid, then again to her amulet. Sofia than ran back to the recent burial site she had just made, once again whispering a quiet thank you to the pile of flowers. 

Sofia was about to leave the area, going back towards the path, when something caught her eye. There, in a small pile in the grass, was a pile of fresh werewolf scat. Small flecks of blue told Sofia it was probably from the werewolf who had attacked Alastor's mom. Sofia swallowed hard, both in fear of being found by such a creature and in disgusted anticipation for her next intended action. However, it had to be done.   
Taking a deep breath, Sofia carefully took out her handkerchief, gathering a small sample of the foul substance and wrapping it up tightly before adding it to her bag. 

The things people do for love...


	5. What she does to him

Sofia sighed in blissful relief as she entered the magical barrier of the path. She hadn't even realized how cold she was until she was once again enveloped in it's warmth. "The moment I get home, I am taking a hot bath and eating my weight in fresh baked chocolate everything." As if on cue, the young princess's stomach let out a low rumble. She smiled a bit, remembering that she hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning. Sofia probably would have felt starving if she had had time to be hungry through all the excitement. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the fairly large honey glazed danish Bailywick had packed for her. She unwrapped the sweet treat from it's cloth napkin, sighing a bit in disappointment that it had gotten cold. She should have expected that, really, considering she had been marching through freezing woods and it had been in her pocket the entire day, but there was a small, almost imperceptible hope that the pastry would have some spell or charm to keep it warm. No such luck. However, she ate it gratefully none the less, for the moment satisfied enough to keep walking without becoming disheartened by the thought of food or soft bed. "Alright, now. Let's get back to business." she said, smiling as she wiped her hands on her napkin, shoving it back into her pocket and taking out Cedric's list from her other once more. "Hm... Mountain Troll? I didn't even know those existed...... Oh well. They can't be that different from the trolls at the castle, right?"  
Oh how wrong she was.....

Only a half hour later Sofia found herself running and screaming as a 30 foot troll stomped after her, roaring mightily as it chased the tiny princess. He swung his club, knocking over three oak trees and a pine with a single hit. Sofia screamed again as she ducked to avoid flying branches.

How did she get into this position?

15 minutes ago, Sofia approached the sleeping mountain troll where you may expect to find it; in a cave at the base of a mountain. She approached cautiously, deciding to simply pluck the foul green substance from between it's toes while it slept. A fine idea, in theory.   
Accept for the fact that trolls are extremely ticklish.  
And extremely grumpy if woken up.  
Now, she is running for her life.

"Oh, gosh, someone please help!" Sofia yelled, which even she realized was ridiculous. She was in the middle of a magical forest, and getting deeper into it. Who would ever hear her out here?  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Cedric was frantically searching around his tower for a certain spell book. "Oh, why haven't I ever cleaned this place?.... Honestly, though, I look away for a second and THIS happens. Honestly, who else would be so thick as to wake a sleeping mountain troll?"

In truth, he really had only looked away for a few minutes. Somehow, in the time it took Cedric to go to the kitchens, make a sandwich, and bring it back to his tower, Princess Sofia had gotten herself into trouble.   
Again.   
He hadn't even eaten the sandwich, as he was planning to do so once he reached his tower. However, it now lay discarded on the floor, right where he dropped it the moment he walked into the room to the sound of the princess's scream from his crystal ball.

"Ah Ha!" Cedric looked up in triumph, holding up the old book. The literature featured powerful spells that would only work at long distances, so he had never found any real need for it. After all, why cast a spell on something you couldn't even see? "Oh, princess, you SO owe me for this one..." he mumbled, before speaking the incantation. At his command, Cedric watched through the crystal ball as a large boulder began levitating into the air ahead of the running pair. 

He carefully waited in anxious anticipation for what was mere seconds, but felt like years. He watched as the small princess passed harmlessly beneath the rock, not even noticing it hovering above her, before the troll passed similarly. Only this time, Cedric stopped levitating the rock, sending it crashing onto the large beast's head.   
"Bullseye!" he said, suddenly proud of himself. "That's twice I've saved you now, princess! Ha!" he yelled at the crystal ball, thinking of all the favors and commands he could give her for this. And, being as kind hearted and honest as she was, there was a very good chance she would follow them. 

Cedric fell back into his chair gleefully. "What shall I make the little wench do first? Clean my tower? Read the ingredients and incantations while I make potions? Cook my meals? How about a massage?" He cackled with glee as he imagined it all. However, as he began pictured the young princess doing such tasks, the image shifted slightly.  
From cleaning his tower to cleaning a small, serene cottage, the kind she always used to point out in storybooks and say they looked so homey and cozy. And he couldn't help but agree.  
From reading his spell books to reading a storybook, cuddled up beside him next to a roaring fireplace.  
From making him a simple sandwich of the palace kitchens to cooking a romantic dinner for two in said cottage.  
From giving him a massage to-

"Oh merlin, I am not even going to go there." he stood up so quickly that his chair fell over, though he didn't seem to notice. He ran a hand through his already messy hair, once again gazing into the crystal ball. "This is going too far. Just.....Finish the plan, get the amulet, take over the kingdom." He said to himself. "Finish the plan, get the amulet, take over the kingdom, finish the plan, get the amulet, take over the kingdom, Finish the plan, get the amulet, take over the ki-"

"Thank you, Mr. Cedric." Cedric froze at the soft voice of the very girl his eyes had been unconsciously locked on, a soft, serene smile on her lips.

".....Merlin's mushrooms."  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sofia hummed softly to herself as she walked through the forest alongside the path. It was somewhat symbolic for her to do so, walking so closely to the path without being encompassed in it's safety or warmth.   
She no longer needed it's protection. Cedric had protected her from the mountain troll, and she had no doubt he would again. And he had sent her his robe, so she had no need for additional warmth. True, she had no actual proof that it had been Cedric from whom these gifts came, considering it was wormwood who brought the cloak and no one had been around when the boulder flew, but she just knew it had to be him. Perhaps he was watching her even now. At the moment, she was only using the path for guidance, though she felt as if she wouldn't need that anymore either, sure that Cedric would sent some sign to her if she was lost.

In addition for her appreciation for Cedric, Sofia couldn't help but feel a bit proud of herself. She had actually managed to obtain 6 out of 7 of the ingredients on Cedric's list! She let out a soft, girlish giggle at the thought. Oh, Cedric would be so proud of her! She could see it all now.

She would reach the end of the path, a bag full of ingredients in hand. She would be expecting her family, her troop, and perhaps Bailywisk on the other side. They all congratulate her for her successful trip through the forest on her own, saying how grown up she was. However, just then, from behind the carriage emerges the figure of her favorite Sorcerer. He expresses how the others have no idea just how grown up she is, just how many hardships she has overcome. And finally, he will no longer see her as simply the irritating little pest who barges into his tower whenever they need something. No, he will see her as a grown woman, one who can now fend for herself and help him just as he had always helped her. She will hand over the ingredients as he thanks her, and she will reply that it was her pleasure and if he ever needs any assistance again, just ask. He will look deep into the eyes of the woman he can now truly call his equal, worthy of any man's affections, even if they are nearly a decade and a half her senior. However, that doesn't matter to her. She had grown up admiring him for who he was. A strong, resourceful man who was an excellent magician when he could keep his emotions in check. Around her, he had always found the strength to do just that. However, now, he feels as if she is having the opposite effect. He gazes into her sparkling eyes deeply, a soft smile forming over his lightly blushing features as he stares at her calm, collected, mature expression and posture. He opens his mouth, his voice soft and wanting.

"Sofia...." his voice is just over a whisper. She moves closer to him, speaking his name as well. "Cedric."  
"Come with me, Sofia."  
Sofia opens her eyes, blinking. Wait a moment, that's not what he usually says in her fantasy....  
But this isn't just a fantasy. There, standing mere feet in front of her, is Cedric. A soft smile graces his pale features, his eyes full of kindness and love. Sofia can't help but blush a bit at that look. So much for calm composure.   
"Cedric, what are you doing here?" Sofia asks, confused as she examines the man. Cedric simply smiles, his hand still offered to her. She looks down at his gloved hand in confusion. What was Cedric doing in the forest?   
And what did he want to show her? This was really weird...  
But sure enough, here he was, standing there in his usual clothes. He looked just as he had in her fantasy. Hair neatly combed for once. Clothes unwrinkled. His usual scowl melted into a serene smile. His clothes weren't even wrinkled, including the robe he was wearing. Entranced, Sofia took his hand, smiling a bit. His hand felt slightly cold in hers, though that would be expected in this weather, especially with him wearing gloves that could keep her from feeling the warmth in his hand. His touch was so gentle, so light, that she could hardly even feel it.  
Cedric led Sofia away from the path and through a thick grove of trees, occasionally turning for moment to throw a dashing smile her way. Sofia smiled back. Even if she was confused, this was still like a dream come true.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Cedric hummed a little tune to himself, one that he had heard Sofia humming a few minutes ago in the crystal ball, as he carried a basket of food up the stairs. There was a hot roast beef sandwich, warm apple cider, Parmesan zucchini medallions, and even a dish of jiggly wiggly pudding. The beef, zucchini, and pudding were all leftover from the riyals supper, but he had still taken the time to heat everything up and plate it and put it in the basket, not to mention make the sandwich itself. He even spent almost a full minute deciding which bread to use and cutting it by hand instead of by wand. He didn't even do that for himself! Luckily the snow had delayed the usual delivery of the royal leftovers until morning, otherwise he wasn't sure what he would send Sofia for supper. Not that he really had to send her anything, but... well, she would need her strength to hunt the last ingredient, not to mention she hadn't eaten since that Danish she had around sunset. Honestly, was Baileywick trying to starve the poor girl? And besides. This kindness would have to be repayed eventually. So, there. All part of a deliciously evil plan.

Cedric opened the door to his tower, walking immediately over to wormy from his spot on his perch. "Wormy, take this to the princess for me please." he said, smiling as he opened the window wide for the bird. Wormwood gave a small caw and a gesture that could have been understood in any language, animal or otherwise. "What do you mean you can't...." Cedric said, suddenly feeling a pang of worry run through him. He rushed over to the crystal ball. Sure enough, there was the princess....   
Wandering aimlessly away from the path.   
She had an odd look in her eyes and her hand was outstretched in front of her as if holding onto something. Cedric was confused for a moment. Until he heard the song coming from the crystal ball. It was light, quiet, almost imperceptible. But it was definitely there.

"Oh lord..... it's a siren song." he said, fear in his voice. He quickly rushed around his tower, quickly finding his wand in the case the princess had made for him for Wasalia all those years ago. He smiled a bit at the memory as he looked at the case. That was so many holidays ago.... and each year since her gifts to him have gotten better and better. A new robe, a few spell books, convincing her family to officially add him to the hall of sorcerers that was located in the palace. He thought his heart would stop for joy when he saw the picture of him, hanging right next to the picture of Goodwin the Great. And this past Wassalia had been the best one yet. She had actually managed to convince King Roland to officially dub him Cedric the Sensational. No matter how many times he messed up, no matter what people called him, no matter what he did wrong, that name would forever be his title on every record and document. He could still see the young girls face, her long hair cascading over her shoulders as she smiled at him. She looked exquisite in her soft, red Wassalia dress with the matching gold and ruby tiara.  
Had he... ever thanked her? He was so excited. He had been speechless.... No. No, he never thanked her. The person who had worked so hard, who had helped his greatest wish as a sorcerer to come true.... and he forgot to thank her....  
He had to save her. He had to tell her he was sorry for waiting so long, had to thank her for the gift. Wassalia may have been a month or two ago, but that didn't mean it was too late. Sofia was so forgiving, she probably wasn't even upset. Still, he had to tell her. He had to save her.

"Don't worry, Sofia! I'll-" Cedric stopped as the song got a bit louder. He blinked. "Oh my... what was I...?" He turned, his head feeling a bit dizzy.  
There, standing before him, was the princess. "Cedric." she said, smiling softly. She looked so charming. So delicate. She wore a red ball gown made of some soft material. On her head, just atop her long chestnut brown locks lay a gold and ruby crown.   
"Sofia.... You're safe..." he said in a sort of awed amazement. She looked so beautiful. The princess smiled, stretching out her dainty hand to him. "Come with me." she whispered softly.   
Cedric smiled dreamily, taking her hand in his. Her touch was so gentle. He could hardly feel it. "Yes... I will." he said, following her. He wondered briefly where ahe was taking him. However, at the moment, it didn't matter. 

All that mattered was that Sofia was here. Sofia was safe.   
"Come with me..." She led him cross the tower room, smiling at him as they walked. He wondered for a moment what she had wanted to show him. Was there something out the window? It was nearing sunrise, after all.  
"Come with me..." The pair were reaching the edge of the room. Cedric continued to follow.   
"Come with me..." Sofia kept walking.Wait, had she just walked through the wall? He was certain the room was not that long. If Cedric didn't know any better, he would say that Sofia had walked through the wall below his   
tower window and she was standing outside on air, as if he were only seeing her through the opening of the window. But that is impossible.  
"Come with me..."   
"Yes... I will." Cedric said. He kept walking. Cedric gasped as he felt his legs hit the wall. He had been walking at a normal walking pace and the momentum was enough to throw him off balance once he got there. However, he couldn't properly regain his balance while holding Sofia's hand. He had to concentrate for a moment, just long enough that he could get his bearings, long enough that he wouldn't fall out the window-  
"Come with me."

In a beautifully bittersweet metaphor, Cedric fell for Sofia.

As he plummeted down towards the ground below, he turned over long enough to see that Sofia was no longer there. As he got farther and the siren song faded, Cedric realized what had happened. He closed his eyes in shame, bracing himself for the sudden stop at the bottom. Somehow, he prossessed that this breath he was taking in the six seconds or so for which he fell would be his last. So many words could have been said in those final moments. He uttered three. Three little words that he meant with all his being.  
"I'm sorry, Sofia." He said, a tears forming in his eyes.   
He would never get to say thank you. He would never get to save her. He would never get to apologize for all the times he was so rude to her or all the times he turned her away when all she wanted was his help. He would never get to express his true feelings for the only person who hd ever truly cared for her.   
And so Cedric fell, with three words on his lips and three others, three words that he could never speak aloud, three forbidden words, words that are too often wasted on flings or simple crushes, those three words in his heart.  
And both were directed to the girl slowly following the siren song deeper and deeper into the magical forest.


	6. What he does to her

The first thing Cedric noticed was the feeling of cold, Of discomfort.  
He didn't recall any descriptions of heaven being quite this uncomfortable. Was it possible that he had ended up in hell?  
But then wouldn't it be much, much warmer? Where was the raging inferno? Surely he hadn't done anything bad enough to end up residing in the seventh circle...  
Slowly, almost hesitantly, Cedric opened his eyes. He was met by a clear winter sky, the rising sun just peaking across the grey horizon.  
He was alive.  
"But.... how....?" Cedric looked around him, only to realize that he had landed directly in the leftovers cart soon to be transported to the village poor.  
'-the snow had delayed the usual delivery of the royal leftovers until morning..." he recalled his earlier thoughts from when he had made Sofia's meal. He couldn't believe his luck!  
Cedric jumped up, springing from the cart and onto the snowy winter ground with a laugh of pure joy. Indeed, he felt happier than a school boy on Christmas morn. He was alive!  
Suddenly, Cedric froze, remembering the events that ad led to his near death experience. "Sofia." He said in a rush as he began running full sprint towards the stables. If he couldn't save her... If she wasn't saved... If she.... he couldn't even think the words. She had to be saved. He couldn't let anything happen to her. That would be far worse than the deepest depths of hell.

Cedric burst into the stables, out of breath as he looked around. Most of the flying horses were sleeping. "Come on, you! Wake up!" he said, rushing over to a sturdy looking stallion. The horse didn't so much as ruffle his wings. Cedric moved on, trying to rouse every horse. "Oh, come on! There ha to be some horse in here willing to help me save Sofia!" he said in an almost whiny, begging tone. However, at the mention of the Princess's name, from the far end of the stables came a loud, crying neigh, followed by hooves kicking against a stable door. Cedric smiled wide. Finally! A noble steed willing to join him on his quest to save his true lo-  
".... Oh, you have GOT to be joking." Cedric said running a hand oer his face as he stared down at the small, purple horse in the final stable. It was one that he had seen Sofia ride many times and had heard tales that it was much faster than could be assumed, but...  
Cedric looked around the stable one last time, as if hoping some horse, any other horse, would suddenly rise to the occasion. Unfortunately, he was disappointed. Cedric sighed. "Alright... I suppose half a horse is better than no horse." At the comment, Minimus neighed indignantly. "Oh come now, tiny, this is no time to get a long face. We have a princess to save, and I need a noble steed who can get me there!... However, you will have to do." As Cedric spoke, not seeming to notice how much more Minimus looked ready to turn carnivorous with every word, he saddled and readied the purple horse. Finally, just when Minimus was about ready to make himself a Wizard Sandwich, Cedric hopped on and flicked the reins. "Hya! Go, puny pony, go! I have a princess to save!"   
Swallowing his pride for the moment, Minimus was off, flying as fast as his wings could carry him.  
And, of course, he took no satisfaction whatsoever in Cedric's near falling off by the sheer speed of their flight. None whatsoever.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sofia blinked in confusion as the strange music she had previouly heard faded, followed by a loud splash from somewhere nearby. As reality once again returned, Sofia looked around to see she was mere feet away from a fairly large river. Judging by the ripples near the eedge, she assumed whatever had made the splash, and probably the music, had disappeared within it's depths. "Where... am I?" Sofia said, trying to remember what had happened.  
She recalled being on her hike. Cedric saving her from the troll. Walking near the path. Thinking of Cedric.....  
Cedric. She had seen Cedric! But.... Wait.... No, it wasn't Cedric.... Had she been fooled by an illusion?  
The more Sofia thought about it, the more she was sure that she had indeed been tricked. But who would do such a thing? Surely not the wizard himself...  
"Ah. There you are, my little sssong bird." came a voice behind her. Sofia didn't turn immediately as the pieces began to click slowly.   
"Song.... a Siren song." she finally realized, recalling the music she had heard.

A low chuckle resounded behind her. "And clever too. Your repitation pressseedsss you princesss." came the slightly hissing voice again. It was only than that the princess finally turned, her eyes widening at the site before her. There, at the edge of a bank, on a pile of mossy rocks that looked very much like a throne, sat the most breathtaking man she had ever seen in her entire life. And this coming from a girl who found her true love when she was only eight. However, that didn't mean that she didn't recognize a piece of totl eye candy when she saw one.  
The man was tall, likely over six feet, with skin as pale as the snow itself that shone as if propetually wettened by some invisible mist. Indeed, it seemmed to almost sparkle with every movement. And there was quite a bit of it showing, considering that his only garment was a pair of strange looking knee length pants that appeared to be made of mostly water weed, excluding the left pant lef which was made from what looked like a fishing net, exposing even more of his flawless skin. Every muscle in his body was defined without being overly bulging, and he managed to somehow look both strong and agile, calm yet focused, relaxed yet contemplative. His long hair, blacker than the pitch and shining like a river in full moonlight, reached just below his hips and flowed as if blown by it's own breeze. His pale lips smiled, showing sharp looking pearly white teeth, in a way that drew you in, seemd to accept your every flaw, and yet instate an undeniable dominance and control. And, most striking of all, his eyes. Sofia couldn't quite tell what color they were. Because they weren't one set color. As soon as you decided on what color they were, they seemed to shift to another, though Sofia couldn't tell if it was merely some trick of the light or focus, or if they truely were shifing color. One moment the blue of a clear sky, the grey of a stormcloud, the green of kelp, yellow like a snake's eyes, crimson red like blood, the hue of the ocean itself, white as moonlight, black a the water's depths.   
It wasn't until her feet reached the softer ground of the waters edge that Sofia even realized she had moved so much closer to the man, from being more than ten feet away to now barely one.  
"Who are you?" Sofia finally asked, trying to regain her grasp of reality once more. The man let out a loud laugh that echoed through the trees and somehow reminded Sofia of a waterfall thundering down a tall mountain. "My dear girl. Why, am I not the very being for whom you have been looking for?" he said, gently slipping a hand beneath her chin and leaning in closer, their faces mere inches apart. It was then that the man's scent caught her attention, like sittigng by the edge of a cool, calm stream in the summer, the smell of the clean water, the wet dirt, the fresh air. And his heat. The man produced such warmth, she could literally feel it radiating from im. It's no wonder he was able to be outside in this weather with so little clothing. Why, she hadn't felt this heat from someone since....  
Since....  
Since the last time she talked with a dragon.

"You're.... the river dragon." Sofia finally gasped out, resulting in another laugh as the man removed his hand and backed up slightly. It was then Sofia noticed how shard the man's claws were. How pointed his fangs. Had those been there before? Yes. Yes they had. Sofia had just been too entranced to notice.  
"The one and only. How can I be of ssservice, my dear? Or, moreover, how can you be of ssservice?" he said, standing up and beginning to walk casually away from his throne. Sofia vaguely realized that he was walking on the water of the river itself. "I already know how I can be of ssservice. It's alwaysss the sssame with you humansss. 'Oh, Mr. River Dragon! We mssust take the venom! But letsss not actually asssk or he will probably kill usss ssso we'll just take it!' Kill me, knock me out, take it in my sssleep, you aren't a very creative sssspecies are you?" he said with a sigh.  
"Hey! That's not true!" Sofia said indignantly, fists balled at her sides.  
"Oh? And I ssssuppose the Dryads Wanted to have their blossssomsss ripped from their headssss." he said with a knowing expression.  
Sofia backed down. Not only for fear of wondering how he knew that. But because he was right. Were humans really so cruel? Was she?  
"Now, the point is this. Frankly, I'm a little sssssick of it." he made his way bck towards sofia, his steps barely rippleing the water. "Usually, at this day in age, I just greet petty little pests in full on dragon form, one bite, maye a good scratch, or even just allow my trusty little sirens to have you, and problem solved!" he was once again a mere foot from Sofia, but she refused to back away, even when a clawed hand once again came up to cup her chin. "You truely are such a fragile, delicate ssssspecies..." he said, studying her. Sofia refused to look away, even when he smiled as if this was presicely the reaction he had wanted. Finally, he released her.   
"However. Usssually my intended attackersss are not ssso.... delectable." He said with a smile. "And I don't mean that in way of consssumption, my darling." he said, making Sofia blush a bit.  
Was he seriously....?  
"Therefore, I have a proposssition for you. Well, a propossssal of more than one ssssort." he said, smiling. "You sssee, princessss, around here I am known assss the river king. The king of the entire foressst, really. but I want to make it official. Now, I could alwaysss jussst claim mysssself asss king and whoever opposssesss me will have to get over it or sssuffer the consssequenssses, but that would make me... well, a tyrant. And we donn't want that. Ssso, the sssolution isss sssimple and clear. Marry a princesss!" he said, flashing a smile that would have been charming had it not been for the circumstances.  
"Excuse me.... You want me to What?" Sofia said in disbelief. "Why would I marry you?" she asked, hands on her hips.  
"...Well Why wouldn't you?" the river dragon asked. Sofia looked at him with a blank stare. The way he said that sentence.... He was actually serious. He really didn't see any reason why anyone wouldn't want tto marry him.  
Sofia sighed. Of all the situations to be in...  
"I'm going to put this as simply as possible;" she began, trying to keep her voice calm. "I don't love you."

The river dragon looked at her for a moment, blinked, and then slowly smiled. "Oh, well is that all?" he said, waving a hand through the air as if brushing the notion aside. "Love is only an overproductivity of oxytonin, dopanine, sssseratonin, and endorphinsssss in the brain, my darling. If I make you happy, over time your inssstinctsss will make you grow to love me. And I will indeed make you very, very happy." The river dragon snapped his fingers and from the water emerged a beautiful woman with features not unlike his own, though somehow seeming a bit more fishlike. Her eyes remained a snormy grey color. The woman handed the dragon what looked like a fairly large bow, perhaps to feet in length and six inches deep. Though the box itself was wood, it did not appear to have been wettened by the river. Intricate designs of silver and gold ligned the sides with scenes of oceans and seas, ships and crakens, mermaids and sirens and sea creatures Sofia coouldn't even name. Slowly, the man lifted the lid. Inside the bow were the most beautiful jewels Sofia had ever seen. Emeralds, saphires, rubies, diomands, other precious gems, all uncut. Pearls and gold dabloons and silver coins and jewelery. "Everything your heart dessssires will be at your fingertipssss." He snapped his fingers again and a second woman appeared, this one almost identical to the first but with eyes the white of a strike of lightning. vaguely, Sofia realized that these must be the sirens. But she was far to engrossed in the items at hand. In the new woman's arms were the most beautiful dresses Sofia had ever seen. Over her right arm lay one that looked like the ocean under the clear summer sun, shimmering and deep blue and impossibly flowing. Over her left, a dress of pure pearl white, tiny versions of every type of jewel she could think of laid into the trim. They were breathtaking. "And not only material possessions, my darling princessss. If you dessssire adventure, I can provide that as well." The river dragon reached into the bottom of the box, not seeming to care for the falling valuables in the process, and pulled out a handful of rolled up parchments. "These are mapsss to countlesssss treasssuresss and foreign lands. We shall travel the world. Together. Or, if you prefer, we can remain here, near your old home. You will be allowed to come and go asss you pleassse, asss long assss you alwaysss return and remain faithful. Everything your heart dessssiresss... it could all be yoursss." Sofia opened her mouth to protest, but the river dragon only went on. "What ssssort of life will you have if you marry sssomeone elssse, anyone elsssse. Unlesss you marry a king or prince, your ssstatusss wil be denounced to duchessss once your brother takesss the throne. And no husssband would ever be as trussssting and giving assss I. You will be confined to sssome essstate, expected to manage a family and look pretty and proper. I, on the other hand. I only expect you to be yourssself." he said, gently stroking Sofia's cheek. "All you have to do isssss sssssay yessssss."  
However, much to his surprise, she stepped back. "....No..." She said softly, then again more strong. "No. I'm sssorry-, um, I mean sorry.... but I cannot marry you. Please understand. You are very kind, but... my heart belongs to someone else."  
The river dragon looked at her for a moment, then slowly smiled. Sofia vaguely realized that music once again began flowing through the air. However, she was much too engrossed in the sight before her. The river dragon slowly transformed into....  
Mr. Cedric.  
"Are you sure you won't marry me, my darling?"  
".... Mr. Seedric? Is that... really you?" she said softly, reaching out to touch him. He grabbed her hand in his gently. She could feel him. This wasn't merely a figmant. He was actually tangible.  
"Yesssss. It isss I. Mr. Ssssseedric."  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Cedric scanned the forest below for any sign of where he assumed Sofia must be. "There! Where the trees are thickest and the river passes! She has to be in there."   
The moment the words left his lips, Minimus began diving towards the spot. However, Cedric pulled hard on the reigns. "Woah there, runty! We can't just go prancing in there willy nilly. Land in that clearing. We'll have to sneak into the river dragon den on foot so they don't see us. It's the only way we can ensure the princesses safety."   
Minimus winnied in indignation at the insults, but complied anyways. He didn't want to get Sofia hurt.  
Soon Cedric and the flying horse were tiptoeing through the forest towards the den. Their pace seemed impossibly slow, but Cedric didn't dare go faster for fear of drawing attention to himself, and Minimus followed suit. Finally, they came upon the trees, so thick in their numbers that he could hardly see the center. The two heroes looked at each other, nodding a bit, then slowly snuck towards the distant sound of voices, careful to stay in hidden. Finally, the pair saw them. An exceedingly attractive man... and the princess. No doubt there were sirens hidden somewhere in the water nearby.Cedric pulled out his wand, ready to hex the weird pants off this guy, when Minimus bit his sleeve, stopping him. Cedric looked at the small horse in confusion. The animal nodded towards the pair, as if telling Cedric to listen. The wizard once again turned to the conversing pair.   
"Everything your heart dessssires will be at your fingertipssss." the man said, snapping his fingers. Cedric watched as beautiful sirens 

emerged from the water with gifts, listening to the dragon's words. he watched as Sofia oggled at the finery.  
Minimus winnied, as if to say, 'Could you really take her away from all of this? Do you really think she deserves someone like you, when she could have someone like that?'  
Cedric realized.... Minimus was right. After all, it was his fault that Sofia had been here in the first place. Their entire friendshi had always been a sham for him, just part of his plot for taking over the kingdom. Had he truely ever done anything that was just for her, not for her amulet or a chance for power?  
The only occasion was now. When he was charging in to save her, risking life and limb.  
Only now, she didn't need to be saved.  
The man gently touched Sofia's cheek. Cedric looked away, feeling as if he might be sick. His heart couldn't take this ain, but he had to stay, just until he was sure Sofia was safe. Or perhaps because this may be the last time he ever sees her. How long had it been since Cedric let anyone into his heart? Granted, he didn't exactly let Sofia in. She sort of just wormed her way in, slipping through his defences without him even realizing until it was too late. She had his heart in the palm of her hand, completely hers. And every touch from the dragon made it feel as if she were squeezing it. "All you have to do isssss sssssay yessssss." Cedric closed his eyes. This was it. This was the moment his heart would shatter into a million shards. He wouldn't be surprised if he dropped dead of heartbreak the moment his dear princess said the word-  
"No." Cedric looked up, blinking. Excuse me, what? "No. I'm sssorry-, um, I mean sorry.... but I cannot marry you. Please understand. You are very kind, but... my heart belongs to someone else."  
How bittersweet was this moment? Sofia would not be the river dragons. She would be saved. He still had time with her. But she was still not his. Cedric watched the smile cross the dragon man's face and tensed slighlty. Well, that couldn't be good.   
Cedric heard the siren song, but it was too directly focused at Sofia for it to effect him.   
"Are you sure you won't marry me, my darling?" Whom, Cedric wondered, had the dragon convinced the Sirens to illusion him into? A prince? A knight? Perhaps one of those brats at the school the princess attended, like Xandar or... what was that little ice dancing prince's name? Harlod? Harry? Oh, it didn't matter. The point is, it wasn't-  
"Mr. Seedric? Is that... really you?" Cedric looked up hurriedly. Had he been spotted? And why had she called him Seedric? That was a name from so long ago... She han't called him that in ages. Oh, but how the memory was so fresh in his mind. He recalled the first moment that the princess had ever spoke to him, the way her eyes lit up. The way she praised him, even after the trick had failed at her own welcoming party. He truely had been much too harsh. He always had. Oh, but how he wished that he could make up for it now. Perhaps he could. And if he had been spotted.... No. The princess's eyes were still trained on the dragon. But... wait.... did that mean...  
"Yesssss. It isss I. Mr. Ssssseedric."  
Cedric's mouth dropped open. So... She did love him! It was he to whom her heart belonged! Minumus neighed as if to say, 'Seriously? She is really going to choose this guy?' But Cedric was too elated to care.  
However, the happiness was short lived. The river dragon still had her in the Siren's control. How could he-  
Cedric's thoughts were broken by a loud, sharp slap echoeing throughout the forest. Cedric turned back to the scene before him. He and Minimus's mouths fell open in surprise.  
Judgeing by the red mark on the dragons face and the princess's position, she just... slapped.... the river dragon.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"Ha!" Sofia said, a smirk on her face. "You can't fool me, River Dragon! There are two things you don't know about Mr. Cedric! One, he would never call me his darling or any term of endearment like that. I'm his friend, and even if that is all I will ever be to him, I would rather have the real Cedric as a friend than some phony balogni dragon and some bewitched mermaids anyday! And two, It's Cedric!" He said. The shock of the slap and her rant had broken the Siren's concentration, thus ending their charm.   
"Why, you insolent little-" The River dragon began, eyes literally flashing red with anger. He raised his hand as if to strike th e princess, all pretence of a gentleman now gone after being humiliated so by the girl. Sofia's eyes widened a bit in fear, wondering if she maybe shouldn't have acted as harshley as she had.  
"SLOMBERA!" A voice from the bushes called. A bright stream of silvery light shot toward the river dragon. Caught off guard, the man was unable to deflect the spell. It struck him in the center of the chest, immediately causing him to fall backwards in unconsciousness. Sofia gasped in shock, then turned her attention to the bushes, where her night in woolen robes strode forth, accompanied by his miniature winged steed. "Mr. Cedric!" she said in a slighlty breathy voice. However, there was no time for a proper greeting, as from the water emerged a group of very angry sirens. Gone were the flowing hiar and perfectly make-uped faces of grace and beatuy, instead replaced by a creature hideous almost beyond description. Their faces had contorted into that almost akin to a goat, but scaly and slimy with eyes that bulged out like that of some lizards. Their mouths were filled with countless rows of teeth that looked more like black needles, cracked and decayed and on gums lined with algea. Their hands had become more like talons and, while their feminine figures remained, they had become emaciated and with the same slimy, scaly skin as thier faces. All that remained of their beautiful forms were thier hair, still just as silky and flowing as before, somehow only adding to the horrific display. Sofia looked upon them with fear and disgust, suddenly realising why the river dragon might not want to choose one of them as his bride.  
"Sofia, get behind me!" Cedric yelled. Sofia was about to protest when Cedric grabbed her arm and forcefullyyanked her into said position. Everything appeared to be happening in fast forward after that. Two of the creatures shot at minimus, their mermaid like tails dragging behind them as they lept and crawled using their skeletal arms, while the other two advanced towards Cedric and Sofia much in the same manner. Sofia gasped in horror, wanting to help, to save someone. After all, despite being a princess, she had hardly ever played a proper damsel in distress. However, there was no need, as Minimus reared and kicked at the sirens, catching their grotesque faces with his strong hooves. Blood so dark green it was almost black sprayed onto the ground with every hit. Meanwhile, Cedric was casting spells so quickly Sofia could barely tell when one ended and another began. Sleeping spells, body binding curses, stinging hexes, spells that would send them flying into trees or the river. None lethal, Sofia noticed, but all inhibiting the creatures. Sofia wasn't sure if seconds, minutes, or hours had passed when all of the sirens had either been rendered unconscious, trampled or concussed to death, or simply retreated back into the river.  
Minimus and Cedric stood panting, the ground strown with siren bodies and blood, while the riverdragon still remained where he had been. The two looked at each other, smileing as if to acknowledge the others good work without actually saying anything, whether from exhaustion or dignity. Finally, Cedric turned to face the princess.  
Sofia's eyes took in the sight of her dear wizard. His clothes were wrinkled and uneven. His bow tie and doublet had come off at some point, and one of the buttons of his dress shirt was missing, leaving just a few inches of his lean chest exposed. His hair was a mess, his cheeks slighlty red from exhersion and cold, although a single bead of sweat dripped down the side of his pail forehead.  
Sofia had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life.  
For Cedric, it was much the same, his princess's hair windswept and her cheeks rosy. The pair stared at each other until Minimus whinnied uncomfortably, breaking the silence. Well, whinnied from Cedric's perspective. Cleared his throat awkwardly to Sofia's. Sofia blushed a little, realizing she was staring, not noticing that Cedric was doing the same thing, and went to gently pet Minimus, smileing in thanks to her dear friend. She then looked at the River dragon, unable to approach him for fear of what his state might be. "Is he..."  
"Not dead." Cedric said, realizing what she was asking. Sofia sighed in relief. He may have been a prat, but she still didn't condone killing anyone. "It is only a sleeping spell. It will wear off in 48 hours." Cedric said, shrugging and brushing some hair away from his face. Which was useless, since it fell right back. The Sorcerer sighed in irritation, while Sofia giggiled softly.   
"Here, let me help." Sofia once again returned to her sorcerer. Well, not hers, but Cedric, anyway. She reached up, her dainty hands gently smoothing his slightly sweat soaked hair. If this had been anyone else, she might have been disgusted, but with Cedric she was too focused on other things. Like how soft his hair felt. How well his clothing fit him when she smoothed out the wrinkles and straightened them on his slightly narrow shoulders. How smooth his chest was when her hand accidentally brushed against it. How quickly his heart was beating...  
Sofia looked up, accidentally catching Cedric's eyes. Golden hues met blue ones as the princess and the sorcerer stared at each other for a long moment. That is, until a slightly disgruntled horse once again interrupted the pair. Sofia let out a nervous laugh while Cedric simply glared at the horse.   
The moment broken, Cedric sighed, crossing his arms, while Sofia pulled a small vial from her pocket. Cedric watched in confusion as the girl approached the unconscious body of the river dragon, kneeling beside him, her body blocking what she was doing from the sorcerer's view. "Princess, what are you-"  
"There we go!" Cedric was interrupted by the brunette's triumphant cry as she straightened and pulled off her traveling bag, adding the vial to it. She smiled, offering the bag to Cedric, who took it, still confused. Cedric frowned, opening the bag and looking at it's contents, not immediately recognizing what they were. A palm sized flower, a jar of sparkly gold powder, a swatch of bumpy brown material, a long, shining, spiraled cone, a handkerchief with something in it that had stained it brown, a clump of something yellow and vaguely fuzzy, and a vial of something shimmering and green. Then, it dawned on him. "You..."  
"Got every item." Sofia said softly, smiling wide and handing him the list he had handed her before she left.  
Cedric dropped the bag, pulling the princess into his arms and holding her tightly. Sofia's eyes widened in confusion. "Mr. Cedric..."  
"Hush. Please, just.... just for a moment..... Just let me pretend..." he said, his voice quivering and barely above a whisper. Sofia tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter, making the princess blush. Finally, she gave in, relaxing ad wrapping her arms around him in turn.  
"Pretend what, Cedric?" She asked, for a moment forgetting to add mister.  
"Pretend... pretend that I am not what I am. That I hadn't sent you on such a dangerous quest. That you... Oh, Sofia, why did you do all this? It was so dangerous. How could I.... I have put you in such danger..."  
"But... Cedirc, you save me! From the troll, the cold, the dragon."  
"Dangers that I put you in!" he said, finally letting her go. "I should never have..." he sighed. "I am such a fool..." He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up again. "How could I have done this to you? Sofia.. you are so kind. You always have been. And I have been nothing but cruel to you..."  
Sofia smiled, shaking her head. "But Cedric... You are my dearest friend. And... I feel so much more..." she flushed lightly, looking at the ground. "The reason I went on this mission... It wasn't just because of our friendship. I wanted you to admire me more... and I have to tell you..." Sofia stopped as a single finger was placed over her lips, cutting off what she was about to say. Sofia looked up to see Cedric, his expression one of pain, regret, and longing.  
"Don't say it... please, Princess." he said, emphasizing Princess. "I already know... I do... But... I can't..." He said, picking up the bag of ingredients once more, holding it as if it contained a bomb. "Come on... you need to finish your hike. I will escourt you to the exit."  
Sofia looked blankly at Cedric as he began walking in the direction of the forest path once more.  
Having no other choice, the princess followed, feeling as if her heart was flaking off in tiny shards with every step she took.


	7. What They Do For Love

The rest of their journey was spent in complete silence. Cedric and Sofia walked beside each other along the forest path, though with a respectable foot of space between them. A foot that felt more like miles to the pair. Sofia could tell by the thinning of the trees that they must be less than a mile from the exit. However, rather than the elation she should feel from the completion of her journey, she felt only sorrow.  
Cedric, meanwhile, walked in silence, deep in thought. The bag in his hand weighed less than a pound, but seemed to weigh tons. "....we don't have to do it, you know." Cedric was pulled from his thoughts by the princess's voice. He blinked, turning to face her, her eyes trained on the ground.  
"...what?" he asked, genuinely confused a to what she meant.  
"...We don't have to go back." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Cedric froze, stopping in his tracks, and the princess stopped as well, finally meeting his flabbergasted gaze. Cedric opened his mouth to protest, but Sofia cut him off. "These woods go on for miles, an there are countless kingdoms in the world, kingdoms that will never have even heard of Enchancia or Princess Sofia or Cedric the Sensational." she said, using the title she had gifted him with.   
"Sofia, we can't-"  
"Yes we can!" she interupted, her voice increasing in volume and urgency. "Cedric, I am third in line for the throne, and I was never betrothed. I was not even born a princess! They don't need me in Enchancia. And you never really felt satisfied as a Royal Sorcerer. You have told me as much yourself! So don't be. We'll travel the world, explore other cultures, visit everywhere. Tangu, Avalor, Arendelle, Kaluzo, and with your magic we could even visit Atlantica or Olympus.   
"Sofia-!"  
"No one will tell us what to say or do or where to go. We will do everything we could ever dream of... together. Everyone is waiting for me at the forest. We can sneak in through your tower window. I'll grab my jewels and a few bags of gold. No one will ever miss it. We'll be set for life!"  
"SOFIA!" Cedric grabbed her arms, causing her to pause, panting heavily, tears in her eyes.   
"Please, Cedric... I love you."  
Cedric placed a gentle hand on her cheek, wiping away a single tear. "No... You don't. Sofia, you can't. What you feel... It's just infatuation. Or gratitude for me saving you."  
"No! It isn't! I love you, I know it! I have since I was a little girl!"  
"Sofia, no you don't." Cedric tried to convince her again.  
"Yes I do!"  
"Sofia, you can't love me!"  
"Why not?" The two stared at each other for a long moment, Sofia angry and Cedric desperate. Finally, he let her go.  
"So many reasons! Sofia, I'm not even your friend! I was using you! All these years, I only wanted your Amulet. It has magic. With it, I could rule the kingdom." He said, preparing for the hatred she would surely feel.  
However, she only shook her head. "That isn't true. You've had my amulet before. You gave it back. And there were so many times when I was in your tower alone with you. If you truly only wanted my amulet and cared nothing for me at all, why not rip it from my neck when I was your apprentice, or any of the times when I asked for help? Why not steal it from any of the people who had taken it from me over the years?" She countered. "I saw it, Cedric. In your eyes, after the river dragon. I love you. And you feel something for me too."  
"No..." he said, looking away.  
"Then say it! Look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you don't love yoe!"  
"Sofia-"  
"Say it!" she grabbed him, forcing him to look at her, looking more angry than he even thought possible for the young girl.  
"I can't!" he finally said in an outburst. "I can't say it! Because I do! I feel so strongly for you, Princess, and I cannot have you! You are kind and beautiful and a gift to the world and I adore every part of you. It took me a bloody long time to realize it, but I have for a while. I like how your smile lights up a room, and how your hair blows in the wind, the way your eyes sparkle, your laugh is like music, your graceful and confident walk. I adore everything about you! And I cannot have you! I want you far too much, and you are above me in every way. I am too old, too low, too cruel. I have been trying to take over the kingdom for so long. The potion you gathered the ingredients for? It's a hypnosis potion. All I have to do is drink it, and for 24 hours I can control anyone just by telling them what I want. I can tell your father to sign the kingdom to me, to lock himself and your family in the dungeons, you to give me your amulet, anything I want just with a tiny sip, and you gathered the ingredients to make enough for years! I am dark, Princess, far too dark for anyone so perfect and good!"  
"The why tell me all of this? When it would be so easy to tell my father, to take the ingredients now?" she countered.  
"I don't know!" he said. "I don't know why I am telling you all this. The fact remains though that I sent you here to get the ingredients, with no care if you were hurt."  
"You saved me three times."  
"Stop it!" he yelled. "Stop trying to make me seem like I'm a good person, Sofia!"  
"You are a good person!" she countered.  
"And what of the other reasons? My status?"  
"I wasn't born a princess. It doesn't matter to me."  
"Your duties?"  
"I am third in line! I barely have any duties!"  
"My age?"  
"Girls younger than me have married older!"  
"What is wrong with you? Why can't you just understand that I am not right for you?" He said desperately.  
"Because you are! I love you, Cedric!"  
"Stop saying that!" he said firmly, facing away from her. "I can't believe that. I can't hope that you would love me.."  
"Why not?"  
"Because I won't be able to bare it when the inevitable happens... If I run with you now, you will regret it. Maybe not for a while, but you will. You will realize that you don't love me. That it was only infatuation. That there is someone better. Or even just that you love this kingdom more. And I won't be able to let you go!" he turned back to her, fighting back tears. He couldn't cry. Especially not in front of her. "You have no idea how badly I want you, Sofia. And for a man of my age, that means a lot more than you know. I love you in every way."  
"I know that, Cedric." she said, sounding just as desperate now. "I'm 16. I know what an adult relationship entails."  
"Don't say that..." he said with a wince. "You are only a child."  
"But I'm not! Girls are marrying at 13, especially of my previous status. Amber is set to be married in less than a year to her betrothed! Jade and Ruby were my best friends, and they are married already! Jade thinks she may even have her first child on the way!"  
"Princess-"  
"Stop that. Stop calling me princess like that in itself is an argument! Tell me right now. Look me in the eyes and tell me how you really feel about me."  
Cedric looked into Sofia's eyes, his expression resigned. "....I love you, Sofia." he said. "...I love you more than anyone. More than anything. And that is why I cannot have you. because I love you. And I am cruel and old and low class, and you do not deserve me. And because you make me want to be good. Had I realized this even a year ago, when I loved you but had not yet cared enough about your feelings or what was right, I would have taken you away already. Ran away with you, locked you in a little cottage so only I could see you. Because I am selfish and I want you so badly. You would be mine and mine alone, rather than allowing the world to love you as it does now. I would give you everything you ever wanted, and would spend every second with you, loving you, pampering you in the day and holding you close at night, have a little family with girls and boys as beautiful as you, little sorcerers and sorceresses to carry on my legacy."  
"...The why don't you?" Sofia asked, a single tear running down her face. Cedric loved her. It was like a dream come true... and yet she still could not have him.  
"Because I am not the only one who loves you, Sofia. Your siblings, your parents, the entire kingdom. They would miss you so dearly. You are Sofia the First. Enchancia would have fallen a hundred times over if it wasn't for you. How many times have you saved the kingdom? Fate is wonderful and cruel, Sofia. I love you. And I will never stop loving you. But you are not mine." he said, then turned and walked again towards the exit of the forest.  
Sofia followed, confused and dejected. A small pressure in the center of her back startled her, and she turned to see Minimus, looking at her sympathetically. Sofia smiled sadly, as if to say she was alright.  
But, of course, that was a lie.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"Sofia!" Sofia blinked, looking up to see a large group of people waiting for her. She had reached it. The exit to the forest. "Oh, thank heavens. We were so worried!" her mother said, hugging her tightly. "We were expecting you hours ago."  
"Really? What time is it?" Sofia asked, confused, then noticed how high the sun was in the sky.  
"Nearly midday." Baileywick said, frowning as he approached the mother and daughter.   
"We were just debating sending in the royal guards to search for you." her father said, his brow creased with worry."  
"Ah! Just look at you!" Said Amber, eyes wide in shock. "What on earth happened?" Sofia looked down at herself. Her dress was ripped and muddle and she was still wearing Cedrics robe as a sort of makeshift jacket. No doubt her hair was a mess, and her shoes beneath her dress scuffed. She would be surprised if any of her makeup was still on, and suddenly felt very self conscious. "I, uh... got lost." she replied, shrugging and looking sheepish.  
Her troop leader opened her mouth to speak, no doubt to chastise her for going off the path, when her father interrupted her. "Cedric? What on earth are you doing here?" The king asked, flabbergasted.  
"I-" began Cedric, his expression unreadable.  
"He saved me." Sofia cut him off, stepping in front of Cedric to draw everyone's attention to her. "When you all were taking so long returning to the palace, Mr. Cedric was worried I might be hurt, so he took Minimus to come find me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here." She said. Which wasn't exactly a lie.   
Cedric's eyes were as wide as saucers. Meanwhile, King Roland came up to Cedric, offering him his hand. "Well, then, Cedric, I believe that I owe you thanks. For saving my daughters life again." he said, smileing and remembering when he saved her from living her life as a lizard.   
"Actually, father, he saved me four times. He fought off a mountain troll, a river dragon, sirens, and gave me his robes when I lost mine while running from a basilisk." Again. Not really a lie. However, this made everyone stare at Cedric in disbelief.  
"I'm sorry, did you just say... Cedric did all that?" Amber was the first to speak. "But... how!" she asked, thinking the same thing everyone else was. This was Cedric. The thin, lanky screw up that was known widely as the world's worst sorcerer.   
"Well, he is Cedric the Sensational." Sofia said, throwing a fond smile Cedric's way. Cedric, meanwhile, looked at the ground, blushing lightly. She had left out the crucial detail that he put her in those dangers in the first place. "As a thank you for going above what is required of your station and saving the princess's life now five times, I would like to grant you one wish. Anything in my power." he said, smiling at Cedric.  
Sofia gasped, looking at Cedric. After all, there was so much he could do with one wish in the king's power. He could even ask to be king, and with so many witnesses to the king's previous statement, Roland would be unable to deny him. Or perhaps, Sofia hoped, he could ask to make her wish come true, and they could be together-  
"No thanks is necessary, my lord." Cedric said simply. Sofia felt her heart shatter once more.  
"Just like your father. I'm sure he will be very proud to hear of all this, Cedric." Roland said, smiling wide. Somehow, Cedric didn't feel as happy as that should have made him.  
"As for you, young lady," Rolland began, turning to Sofia once more, who stiffened. "What were you thinking, going off the path? Honestly, between you and your brother-"  
"Oh, not that again, Rolly." Queen Meranda said, a pleading look in her eyes.  
"What happened with James?" Sofia asked, a bit worried. Roland turned away, obviously angry. Meranda sighed.   
"Nothing bad, Sofia. Just... James announced earlier that he wished to marry Princess Hildegard."  
"Really?" Sofia said, smiling wide. "That's wonderful!"  
"No it isn't!" Snapped Roland. "Under normal circumstances, our kingdoms would simply merge under Enchancian rule, but Hildegard's father refuses to merge the kingdoms because Enchancia is so far away and has no son to heir his."  
"So then... what will happen to their kingdom?" Sofia asked, confused.  
"Well... your brother said that he wants to marry Hildegard no matter what." Meranda began gently. "Under normal circumstances, Hildegard would marry the second son in a family, who would become the ruler of her won. That way the heiring son still remains in his own kingdom. However, against tradition, James wants to move to her kingdom. Which would leave Amber to the heir of Enchancia..."  
"But I'm betrothed to Axel." Amber finished with a slightly apologetic smile to her father. "He is the heiring son to his own kingdom, so I am set to go there after the marriage takes place."  
"But... that would mean..." Sofia put the pieces together.  
"Yes, Sofia. Unless James comes to his senses, you will be Queen of Enchancia. Not only that, but by law a queen cannot rule alone unless previously married and widowed."  
"I'll do it." Sofia said, shocking everyone at the scene.  
"Sofia... I don't think you realize-"  
"I do. I know what all this means, father, and I know that it is far too late to organize a betrothal so quickly and that you will be busy planning for Amber and James's weddings. But... James is in love. And I cannot let that be taken from him."  
"Sofia, you are so young." her mother said, worried.  
"And you would have to find a husband, someone of Enchancia with at least minor knowledge of how to rule, within a year." her father added.   
"But... I already know of someone." she said, smiling at her parents.   
Cedric wanted to protest. He really did. He knew exactly what Sofia was thinking.  
He was just too happy, too hopeful, to say anything.  
Plus, at that moment, while everyone looked at the Princess with confusion, the bold girl turned to Cedric.  
It is rather hard to speak when you have a soft, warm, perfect pair of lips pressed to your own.


	8. Epologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only chapter I checked for typos. For bonus chapters, just request. Also check out my other stories!

"Oh, blasted cape. I don't think I'll ever get this thing right..." Cedric said with an exasperated sigh as he stared at himself in the mirror.  
A melodious giggle behind him quickly quelled his rising frustration. "Here, Cedric. Let me help." She pushed aside her husband's hands where they were fiddling with the ties of his long red cape. "There. All better." she said, smiling as she stood beside him.  
Cedric looked in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. There he stood, custom made clothes, long red cape lined with white fur trip, and, of course, his kingly crown. Beside him, more wonderful still, stood his queen. Her hair was elegantly styled, her curls pinned back to reveal her beautiful face. Her long red gown, shining in the light of their bedroom, matched perfectly with his own clothes. Her golden tiara sat neatly upon her head, slightly larger than the one she always wore as a princess.   
It had been nearly a year since that fateful day in the forest. Cedric would probably never get over the fear in his chest when King Roland had looked- no, glared at him when Sofia pulled away from the kiss. Cedric thought for sure he would end up in the dungeon, or beheaded, or banished. However, Queen Miranda had see the love in her daughters eyes. And, as the royal sorcerer, Cedric was of just enough status and knowledge to be able to suitably marry Sofia without going against the law's customs. Not to mention that, since he married a widowed shoemaker's wife with a young daughter of her own, Roland would not be able to make any sort of case against the union without sounding like a hypocrite and inciting the people's anger.   
Sofia had forgiven Cedric for his harshness in the forest, and Cedric finally accepted Sofia's advances. Not that he really had a choice at that point. Six months later, the pair were married. During the wait, Cedric spent day and night learning how to rule. And, of course, trying to discourage Sofia's attempts for anything too improper before the wedding. Turns out that the girl did indeed know exactly what an adult relationship entailed, but Cedric felt that they should at least try to follow some tradition in the match. Of course, that didn't mean that they hadn't spent nearly the entire month of their honeymoon locked in their room in one of the family's summer palaces. Which was good, because for the next three months after getting back, they were unable to get more than a few hours alone together while helping plan for both Amber and James's weddings.   
Slowly but surely, Roland had warmed up to his new son-in-law. Surely, it had nothing at all to do with the fact that once Cedric was officially crowned king, Roland no longer was responsible for the wedding plans of his other children. Or the fact that Sofia had been so generous in allowing the former rulers an early retirement and full access to the families other palaces and ships, rather than the customary ruling till death.   
The kingdom was run well under the rule of Queen Sofia and King Cedric. Homelessness, poverty, and starvation was all but gone. The pair often made trips into town to greet their people.   
Today was a very special day. The entire family, Cedric's parents included, were coming to visit, and so the royal couple were hosting a lavish ball for all their friends and family to attend. "Are you ready, my darling husband?" the queen said, pressing a sweet kiss to Cedric's cheek. Cedric chuckled softly before nodding, and the pair made their way arm in arm to the ballroom.  
As they entered, trumpets sounded and a man announced their names to the crowd. "Queen Sofia the First and King Cedric the Great!"  
Sofia and Cedric made their way to the center of the room for the customary first dance to be opened with the hosts of the ball. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the sound of that." Cedric said, smiling still due to the announcement of his title.  
Sofia laughed, the sound still like music to Cedric's ears. "I already have."  
"Oh? And why is that, my dear?" he asked as he waltzed her around the ballroom.  
"Because, my darling husband. You have always been a king to me, just as you have always been great."  
Cedric smiled wide. However, he added in a teasing manner, "I believe you are still a tad mistaken, Sofia."  
"Oh? And why is that, Cedric?"  
"Well, I may have always been a king, and always been great. But I do recall not always being Cedric. I suppose if your eight year old self had it your way, I would have been 'King Seedric the Great.'" he said, enticing more musical laughter from his lovely queen. Cedric smiled, feeling incredibly happy. He had everything he ever wanted and more.  
And they all lived happily ever aft-  
"Hm...." Sofia thought said softly, interrupting the author of this stories ending. "Perhaps that should be the name for a boy.."  
"What?" Cedric asked, confused.  
"Well.... for a boy. Seedric. It is sort of cute." She smiled, a bit mischievously, as they exited the dance floor.   
It was then that Cedric noticed the queen's hand, gently placed over her ever so slightly larger belly.  
Sofia laughed, watching as her husband's face paled and his mouth opened and closed like a fish. She grabbed the collar of his cape ad pulled Cedric into a deep kiss, much to the delight of the entire ballroom.  
And they all lived Happily Ever After


End file.
